Lay Me To Sleep
by Eyesinthenight102
Summary: Aurora's dreams keep getting worse, and the time has come for her to take matters into her own hands...but in the shadows an evil waits, and it has plans of its own. (Rated T for safety, takes place after 'Tallahassee') A little bit of SleepingWarrior/Mulora
1. Chapter 1: A Room as Red as Blood

**Once Upon A Time: Lay Me to Sleep**

_(after the events of "Tallahassee")_

Sweat beaded on her pale brow, soaking the dark strands of hair in icy, damp, fear. Aurora shuddered, but not from a chill. She knew where she was. It was the same place she always seemed to appear as soon as her eyes fluttered closed for the night. As soon as rest claimed her, for even the briefest of moments, she was always in the same place.

The red walls of the room loomed thick and impenetrable. Their paint was rich, dark, and foreboding; the exact color of blood. Neither windows nor doors marred the smooth surface of her prison. Trapped, she was trapped. There was no way out.

Aurora could feel her chest tighten and breath grow shallow. Her heart pattered to a gallop. It was the same feeling she remembered as a girl when she'd toddled off into the woods and accidentally fallen into an old well. She'd cried and called for aid, the rancid water chilling her to the bone, but none had heard her. She'd scrapped her hands raw in desperation trying to clamor out, but to no avail. The old granite stone had been unyielding, and had denied her return to the sun of the world above. Even as a child, she'd feared she would die in that hole; cold and forgotten. Trapped between unfeeling stone and a watery grave forever.

Only serendipitous luck had lead an old goat herder close enough to the decrepit well to hear her cries the next morning. The princess was pulled back to the surface cold, hungry, and bloody from the fall. The wounds had healed, but the memory still remained. Aurora had intently avoided small dark spaces ever since.

Those long-ago fears crept into her heart now, fluttering like a bird and stealing away her breath. She panted, gasping, eyes darting about desperately for some means of escape. She caught sight of the only feature of the empty place.

Curtains of the richest burgundy silk, embroidered with elegant scrawling gold thread, rippled in an intangible breeze. Aurora had the momentary inclination to reach out her hands and touch the beautiful fabric, anticipating relishing in its soft caress across her fingers. Trepidation stayed her hand. She was a princess, not a fool. Caution outbid curiosity's luring desire.

The curtains, perhaps realizing they'd been rejected, retaliated by bursting into an angry conflagration. Flames, sudden and savage, licked at the walls and devoured the fabric hungrily, leaving billowing towers of black smoke. The heat was so intense and unexpected, that the princess recoiled; shielding her eyes and staggering half a step back from the torrid scalding waves. The reek of singed hair told her that she'd moved not a moment too soon.

Blue eyes burned and watered, blurring already obstructed vision. The smoke was beginning to fill the room in a dark haze, constricting Aurora's throat and making the remaining air nigh unbreathable. She coughed, lungs choking for want of fresh air, as saliva and sweat spattered the princess's sleeves. She tried to cover her nose and mouth with the hem of her dress, but it made little difference.

She fell to her knees, scrabbling about blindly in search of cooler cleaner air. The heat was stifling, and her body screamed silently for oxygen. The windowless room was a virtual oven, and the flames were soon to be her tomb. Her vision was narrowing to a pinpoint, as she felt along, hand outstretched, clamoring as far away from the inferno as possible.

The world behind her watery eyelids was a blur of light and dark; heat and smoke. Something stood on the opposite side of the room, and she crawled towards it.

As she grew closer she could recognize dark hair that framed a youthful face…it couldn't be, could it? A man? But perhaps not just any man…

"Phillip?!" she croaked, hand out stretched and the humanoid form, bleary eyes searching hungrily for the face of the love she'd lost. The figure seemed to draw closer…and the face was not one she knew. Aurora could feel the dark claws of disappointment and loss sink deep into her heart. Phillip was gone. Gone forever. The eyes that watched her were not those of her love, these eyes seemed to glint darkly. The frame was that of a young boy, pale and stoic.

He seemed to study her, unaffected by the burning hellscape that surrounded them both. Surely he was some sort of sorcerer…Only a man of magic would be able to taint her dreams night after night. A whisper snaked past his cherubic lips, loud enough for only her to hear.

"I know who you are."

The words knifed through her mind, and Aurora blanched. In a fraction of seconds she felt, rather than knew, many things to be true. The first was that the child in her dreams was real, and existed. The second was that she was sure-with every fiber of her being- that he was searching, hunting, for something…something close to her. Something she had access to. The third was that he knew her…down to her very soul, knew her.

These realizations tore from Aurora's throat in the form of a scream, and the dreamworld splintered like shattered glass into thousands of tiny tilting pieces. Rough hands grasped her, and the princess lashed out, kicking and thrashing in animal-like desperation. He wouldn't have her. He wouldn't take her like the wraith had taken Phillip. She would fight.


	2. Chapter 2: A Slight Complication

She snarled a feral howl and struck out into darkness with her fist, making a satisfying collision with something soft and fleshy.

"Aurora! AURORA! Wake up! It was just another nightma– OOF!" The balled fist of the princess drove the wind from her 'assailant' as Snow recoiled, cradling her stomach. The familiar voice of Snow White brought Aurora out of her frenzy, as reality began to evaporate away the terrors of the dream. She shook her head, gasping, sobbing, apologizing and weeping all in the same breath as she fell into Snow's arms.

The young princess trembled like a leaf in autumn, as her friend gently rubbed her back in slow circles.

"I-I'm sorry. Are you hurt? I thought you were the nightmare. It was the same one f-from before. The room, the curtains, the fire...I couldn't b-breathe." Aurora's chest heaved as if still struggling to intake air. Every muscle was tense in memory of the pressing sensation of suffocation.

"I know, I know, shhh… Everything's alright. You're safe now. I promise everything's going to be alright. Just breathe." Snow murmured, gently rocking the girl. Snow gently brushed away the sweaty strands of hair that were plastered to the pale clammy skin. Snow could feel the young princess's heart still hammering in her chest as she shuddered, fragile, in the embrace. Silently, she looked to the starlit heavens and entreated the unfeeling skies that the dreams would soon abate…though she knew from experience that no such thing would occur.

She hadn't had the heart to tell Aurora that these horrid nightmares would probably haunt her for the rest of her life. Snow knew from experience that the beasts that stalked her dreams had not gone, but only become familiar. It was something she'd simply gotten used to in the months after awakening in the Enchanted Forest. The nightmares still plagued Snow White… she'd simply grown strong enough not to care.

But for the sake of sparing Aurora's feelings, she'd pretended as if the dreams would pass in time. After all the poor girl had already been through so much, it was best to let her have this tiny bit of hope, even if it was false.

Aurora pulled away gently, her breathing slowly becoming more even with each inhale. "The boy, in my dream, he spoke to me. He claimed to know me."

Snow cocked her head. _'Odd' _she thought to herself.

Usually the sleeping curse's nightmares were always replayed in the dreamer's mind the same way every time, playing upon the individual's fears and faults. It was unusual for the dreams to change, let alone speak in such a cryptic manner.

"Did he say anything else? Did you recognize him?" Snow pressed, keen mind already working analytically.

"No, nothing" Aurora shook her head sadly; limpid blue eyes began to well again with tears. "I'm so tired. Tired of this wretched curse. It's taken everything from me. My loved ones, my home, and now not even my dreams are safe."

Snow gently kissed the girl's forehead, brushing away an errant tear with her thumb. "All things pass in time, Aurora. Maybe tomorrow night will be different. In the meantime, why don't you sit with me, the sun is just about to rise, and we'll have to wake Emma and Mulan soon."

The young woman nodded, and settled down upon a large outcropping of rock to listen to the gentle sounds of wakefulness that would soon be a part of the forest and its creatures.

Mulan, as always, was the first to wake from sleep, her soldier training still holding true. She quickly checked her sword in its scabbard, collected her armor, rolled up her supplies and went to bathe in a nearby creek. The warrior was nothing if not fastidious about her solo bathing routine. Emma rolled groggily out of bed, tucked the golden compass around her neck, and quickly reached for her jacket and boots before coming to greet the pair who had watched over them in the night.

"See anything?" she grunted, sleep still lending her voice gruffness.

"No, it was a pretty quiet night. Aurora had some nightmares." Snow reported, shouldering her bow in preparation to go out and forage.

Emma stepped in front, blocking her mother's initial path "We're almost out of supplies, it'd probably be good if we broke camp and moved on. Every day we spend here is another day that Cora could find us and steal the compass."

"And create a portal to Henry." Snow nodded, finishing Emma's unspoken thought. "I agree…there's a little township down the way, maybe we could use some rabbit skins to trade for supplies and information on Cora's whereabouts."

Mulan sauntered into the clearing, her stride confident and cat-like. She wrung out her long, dark hair with cool nonchalance as she quickly tied it back with the metal fastens that kept her familiar pony tail in place.

"We've got a problem…" Said the warrior, a scrap of folded paper balled in her fist. "It is time we were moving on."

Emma unrolled the crumpled flier and gritted her teeth. The words TREASON and WANTED glared back along with rough sketches of Emma and Snow. It appeared that Cora had been busy pinning the papers about all the nearby townships.

Snow sighed, and muttered something along the lines of 'not again' before shifting her bow and turning to Emma. "How will we get supplies? These posters are probably all over town. We'll be recognized as soon as we step into the market place."

"We could disguise ourselves, go undercover." Emma suggested, brow furrowed, still not looking up from the poster.

"No, we should avoid the towns all together. Stick to the woods." Mulan asserted, hand straying protectively to her sword. Her firm stance and ramrod straight back told that she was devoted to insuring her new leader's safety, even at the cost of going a few days without trail rations.

Aurora, stepping into the conversation for the first time, studied the poster over Emma's shoulder and spoke. "Mulan and I aren't on the posters. We could easily go into town and get the supplies unnoticed and return to meet you in the woods." Her voice held youthful determined energy. Lethargy and debate had never been Aurora's style. Better to 'do now' and argue later.

Snow shook her head "No, it's too dangerous. I don't want to put either of you in jeopardy."

Mulan placed a hand on her hip. "I am willing to go with Aurora's plan. I would gladly take the risk." She replied dutifully.

Emma shuffled a step, chewing her lip in thought "Kid's got a point… it'd be easier if they just slipped in, slipped out, and we'd be on the road before sunset."

Snow blew a frustrated sigh "Well then I guess I'm outvoted. We'll give you 6 hours. If the both of you aren't back by then, I'm going into town to find you. Stick together."

Mulan nodded, taking the orders with grave sincerity. Aurora was already gathering up her pack and the rabbit skins they could trade with.


	3. Chapter 3: Divergent Paths

**(AN:** Thanks for reading, guys :) Sorry this one is a pretty short chapter…but I promise next one will be nice and long. Good stuff to come! Feel free to review)

The town was just over the next ridge, and the rising sun was already sitting sleepily on the hillocks. Mulan pulled her cloak about her nervously; she'd been required to cover her armor and sword for the purpose of 'keeping a low profile' as Emma had said. She disliked covering the weaponry and armor she'd honorably earned in battle, but could not argue with the practicality of the request.

"Stay close." The Dragon Warrior ordered, as Aurora trotted up quickly behind. "The market place may be busy…and I don't want us to get separated."

"But, we'll cover more ground if we each take half of the supply list. And we're less likely to be noticed if we go alone. Didn't Emma tell us to keep a low profile?" Aurora pointed out.

Mulan rolled her eyes in chagrin. "Fine. I'll get rations and more arrows, you get bandages and travel cups. Stay in the market place until I comeback to find you. Understand?"

"You don't have to treat me like a child." Aurora snapped, offended by the harsh tone of the warrior.

Mulan pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache forming. The stress of long marches, losing her leader and her home, and now suddenly being associated with 'wanted criminals' was beginning to draw on her reserves of patience. She reigned in her flaring temper.

"My apologies. It is my job to keep you safe. But we now know Cora can easily shapeshift. She could be anyone. Her magic is more powerful than I'd thought, and I made a grave error in underestimating her. It is my fault that the wardrobe had to be burned and all the people of Haven were killed." Mulan said, shuffling the folds of her cloak, as she mentally berated herself.

"It's not your fault. None of us knew, but we won't make that mistake again." Aurora murmured, placing a hand gently on the shoulder of her protector. In an odd way she felt a sort of kinship with Mulan, an almost sisterly understanding of what they had both loved and lost. "Let's just focus on getting the supplies, and get on the road before anyone discovers the campsite."

"Agreed. Meet back in the market place as soon as you have your half of the list."


	4. Chapter 4: To Find A Cure

**AN: **I figured I needed to make it up to you guys, since last chapter was so dang short. :)

The market was laid out in a rough square, with shop fronts at the perimeter. Stalls of various vendors were laid out along the roadside and in haphazard rows. There was little order, and the throng of buyers and sellers was a mish mash of citizens from all walks of life. It was, in a word, overwhelming. The morning's silence was shattered by squalling children and vendors wailing out the sales of their wares. Aurora was momentarily unsettled by the ebb and flow of the rabble clamoring for space. It was hot, dusty, and crowded in the throngs of people, with little space for maneuverability.

She took a breath, steeled her nerves, and plunged into the press of people. She clumsily tried to weave and dodge, but her dress was not made for much more than looks. It greatly reduced her maneuverability. Thankfully she was able to wrestle against the current, like a fish swimming upstream, and staggered onto the stoop of an old decrepit apothecary shop.

The storefront was covered in faded hunter green paint that had been bleached by the sun and was peeling away from the wood in long curling strips. Dingy yellow lettering read "Jameson and Jameson's Apothecary! ALL AILMENTS CURED!" A tiny bit of paper taped to the window read "Open for business".

Aurora reread the scrolled yellow text and muttered to herself. "Hmm…All ailments cured…"

_Perhaps_, she thought, _this could be the answer to her sleepless nights_…_Surely a peek couldn't hurt. _She told herself that she'd certainly have enough time to find the other items on the supply list a bit later in the day.

Her heart lightened at the thought of being able to drift soundlessly, undisturbed, in a full blissful night of sleep. Her muscles twitched in eagerness, and she grasped the large brass door handle, yanking it open. The tinkle of a bell heralded her entry as she stepped inside.

The shops interior was much like its exterior: Dusty, old, and worn. The air smelled of mothballs and the tang of herbal remedies. Dust motes playfully swirled in shafts of sunlight, and skipped across the long wooden countertops. A chubby faced balding man sat at the counter. His hair was a salt-and-pepper grey, and the remnants of sideburns covered his jowls in prickly patches.

"Be right with ye." He called, eyes not looking up from his work. Hard callused hands were busily measuring out spoonfuls of ground green powder and sifting it into a bubbling vial of bluish liquid. Deft fingers plunked a cork into the bottle's stopper and shuffled the bottle onto a display case labeled 'wart removal'. He wiped his meaty hands on his apron, and turned to his newest customer, plastering on his best salesman smile.

"What can I get for ye, miss? A love potion perhaps? Though a fine young lady like yer self probably has many suitors. A bit o' pixie dust? We just got in a new shipment o' the stuff. A fist full will give anyone a fine set o' mule ears for nigh a week!" he chortled happily, rounding the counter and coming to usher her further into the shop.

"Erm...no, nothing like that, sir. I was hoping to ask if you sold things to help cure nightmares." Aurora requested as the heavy arm of the man laid itself amicably around her back, like a bird taking its young one under a wing.

The jolly old shopkeeper patted her, lovingly, "Oh, now, ye can call me Jameson, ma'am."

"I'm uh… Rose." Aurora lied, unconvincingly. Jameson appeared not to notice.

"Nice ta meet ye Miss Rose. And o'course I got potions to cure nightmares! All sorts! Let me see what we've got." He angled her towards a row of shelves labeled 'Sleeping draughts'. Thousands of bottles and jars covered the shelves.

"Which one will work?" Aurora muttered half to herself, eyes roving the multitude of glassware, powders, liquids, dried herbs, totems and enchanted baubles.

Jameson laughed "Har Har! Well all of 'em work right enough, but each one is for a different sort o' dream. This one here," he indicated a desiccated flower in a masonry jar "is called Summer's Cloud. It'll make ya feel as if ya can fly every time ye close yer eyes. It'll also knock ye out cold if ya grind it up and slip it into a drink."

Aurora studied the flower closely, but saw nothing remarkable about it. Fascinating that such a little thing could do something so unusual. She turned away from all the vials.

"I need something a bit different. A bit stronger."

Jameson nodded "Well, if ye don't mind me asking, Rose. What kind o' dreams are ye havin'?"

"Nightmares. Horrible nightmares." Aurora shuddered "They're an aftereffect…of a sleeping curse."

Jameson's smile melted like snow in the summer sun. His large jolly jowls grew suddenly serious, and his twinkling beady eyes grew flinty and hard at the mention of a curse. Aurora was just about to take a half step back, and move for the door, but the terrifying darkness that had flitted across Jameson's face was gone just as quickly as it had come.

"Well then, I know just the thing. Let me go an' get it for ye!"

"Oh wonderful! I have a few rabbit skins to trade you for your troubles." Aurora clapped her hands eagerly, reaching for the pelts at her belt.

"Nonsense, Miss Rose. Complements of the house. I do it for all my first-time customers." He surfaced from the back storage room with a vial, and handed it over. "Here's to a good night's sleep!" He chortled cheerfully, though his eyes retained the flinty hardness from before.

Aurora took no notice. The little vial in the man's hand promised her relief from all her terrors. All she had to do was take it. Her fingers grasped the cool glass, and in a quick swig, the liquid burbled down her throat. She sucked down every drop of the sweet liquid down hungrily. Slapping the empty vial on the counter, she grinned wildly. Hope fluttered in her heart. Her prayers had been answered.

"Now, what'd ya say yer name was again, ma'am?" Jameson purred, a predatory note creeping into his voice.

"Rose." Aurora replied. Her brow furrowed, curiously…a tingling sensation was creeping heavily into her hips and legs. They felt heavy.

"Funny. Tha's an aweful common name for someone with such a pretty dress. Ya see, my son's a tailor. An' I know finery when I sees it. There's only a few people aroun' here that can afford such niceties as yer wearin'." Jameson gripped her wrist, pulling her to the counter as her legs seemed to become lethargic.

_The Summer Cloud. _Her subconscious whispered several moments too late. Fear thrilled in Aurora's heart, and her blue eyes filled with a flash of momentary terror. Her knees collapsed under her weight, and feet ignored all commands to run. Her spare hand fumbled for the hilt of her dagger, which she always kept hidden in the folds of her dress, but clumsy tingling fingers could not grasp its tooled brass hilt.

"An' there's only a few people who's ever been under a sleeping curse before. I can count 'em all on one hand…and funnily enough, the queen's men've all got pretty nice ransoms for royalty." Jameson hissed, leaning over.

Aurora's head was beginning to spin. Her vision was blurring into shifting colored shapes, and her tongue felt slow and lethargic. "B-but Regina isn't here…" she gurgled, trying to make sense of the man's words with her fuzzy brain. Her mind felt as if it had been stuffed with sheep's wool.

"Not Regina, m'lady. Queen Cora. She calls the shots 'round here now." He growled, circling the counter, and lifting up the featherweight of the princess and hoisting it over a thick shoulder. He began shuffling towards the back storage room, unaware of her erratic twitching which was all the fight she could muster from her dead unresponsive muscles.

"An' could gladly do with a sack o' gold for my family." Jameson murmured. "My apologies m'lady. It's just business. Nothin' personal."

Aurora's head pitched forward, and the last thing she could recall thinking was that Mulan would undoubtedly be exceedingly cross.


	5. Chapter 5: Chained in Darkness

(_AN: Sorry for the delay, guys…I kind of had to re-work the entire direction this story is/was going….Hopefully now it'll be better)_

Mulan paced the length of the square for the third time in 20 minutes. Her jaw was set in an angry frown as she studied the sun setting on the horizon. Aurora was late. Very late. Something was wrong, she felt it. Damn her, she knew she shouldn't have let the youngest of their group go off on her own. She'd failed again. Mulan gritted her teeth, partly in personal fury with herself.

She had no choice. She'd have to tell Snow and Emma. She'd have to face her failure and try to make it right. She silently swore to herself that she would not lose another friend…the wars, a wraith, and Cora's power had already taken so many.

"Please, spirits, don't claim another." She whispered "I've nothing else for you to take."

She circled the square for the last time, looking back over her shoulder, eyes scanning the empty dusty alleyways. Hoping.

She saw nothing. Neither hide nor hair of Aurora. The time had come to call in help. The sun was dipping low over the hillocks, and in the waning light, Mulan could just see the path up to the woodlands. She began to sprint, mind working madly as she ran. The Dragon Warrior knew from experience that thinking fended off panic.

Aurora was as good as dead if she couldn't keep her wits about her.

_Snow would know what to do_. Mulan whispered the phrase like a mantra to herself as muscle and sinew strained to clear the long distance under heavy armor. _Snow would know what to do._

-X-

Aurora awoke in a dismal little cell. The walls were solid stone, old and grayed. Long lines had been etched on one side, an effort by a previous cellmate to keep the time and count the days. Far off she could hear the rumble of voices and dripping water.

She had no reckoning of how she'd gotten there, and for a moment was exceedingly confused until the harsh reality of drug-tainted memories in the apothecary caught up with her. Her brain felt as if it were throbbing in her skull. She shifted, struggling to sit up, but the room still seemed to spin in her mind's eye and she wretched up bile from her stomach onto the cold stone floor.

When the wave of nausea had passed, she leaned her cheek against the wall and realized that her hands were shackled with thick iron cuffs. The metal was roughly cut and dug into her wrists, allowing for only minimal movement. They clanked forlornly as she tried to levy herself up to a sitting position against the wall.

She began busying herself with menial tasks to keep her mind off her dire straits. Mulan had once told her that thinking fended off panic.

She began by taking stock of herself. Counting and wiggling each finger, each toe, and each limb in succession to check for broken bones. There were, thankfully, none. Next she counted the bruises—there were at least 20 in total, most likely caused by her fall to the floor and the rough handling of her unconscious body. She mentally catalogued the cuts, tracing along a gash in her forehead and wincing at the sting.

"A little worse for wear, but all in one piece." She murmured; glad to hear the sound of a human voice even if it was only her own. She shifted the dirty folds of her dress, and sighed.

Suddenly the things she did not know crowded into her brain. She did not know where she was, nor why she had been kept alive by Cora. She did not know whether Emma, Snow, and Mulan would ever find her. Truly, she did not even know what time of day it was. All of these 'unknowns' flitted about her brain, tumbling like birds caught in a vile wind and scattering her otherwise collected thoughts. Her hand flicked to the tiny scabbard at her waist, but found it empty.

Cora's soldiers must have disarmed her when she'd been unconscious…and had also apparently relieved her of her coin purse, supplies, and rabbit skins as well. She let out a little huff of annoyance. Mulan would most certainly be cross when she turned up….if she turned up. There was no telling if her companions would ever be able to find her. With Cora's propensity for magic, she could be miles from the tiny village marketplace.

Realization chilled her bones, and made the cell seem far colder and much too small. The weight of many thousands of tons of granite seemed to press inward upon the young princess, and an unearthly keening from the bowels of the dungeon's lower levels did nothing to alleviate the sense of foreboding. The reek of sweat, fear, blood and rot seemed to permeate even the stones of the place.

The fall of heavy-heeled boots stopped her mind's fearful whirring with their urgent approach. The staccato rhythm pounded in time with her racing heart. She knew they were coming for her now, even before the boots halted just outside the heavy oaken door and were accompanied by the jangle of keys and a muttered curse.

Aurora quickly stood, drawing herself up. She may be a prisoner, but she certainly was not going to act like one. She thrust her chin out, boldly and defiantly, head erect, and fists clenched to hide the trembling in her fingers. A princess did not cower.

The chained manacles that bound her wrists clanged out, mockingly.

Her mother's favorite proverb whispered through her mind. "A rose, even chained in darkness, can still grow strong."

The heavy lock thudded back, as the tumblers notched into place, and the jailer strode in. His shoulders alone nearly filled the doorframe, and the livery of a black doublet slashed with red adorned his bulky frame. A bleeding heart ensconced by thorns was stitched upon his chest. '_A fitting sigil for Cora'_ Aurora mused. Two of his compatriots flanked him just outside the door, each bearing thick ash spears. The metallic tips glinted meanly in the flickering torchlight, and the young men looked eager to use them, lest their prisoner was considering an escape.

"The Queen has business with you." Growled the largest man, grabbing at her manacles and giving them a tug. "Move." Bitter bile rose up in Aurora's throat as the rough iron bit into the soft flesh of her sore and swollen wrists, but she clenched her teeth and showed no pain.

Blue eyes steely with resolve, she tried to calm the twisting fear and fury that blazed in her breast. She would bide her time.

She did as she was ordered and stepped-with as much regality as she could muster- out of the cell. The suspicious, hungry eyes of the guardsmen devoured her.

The spearmen flanked her, and the large guardsman held her fetters like a leash as he ordered the men to 'form up' and strode off at a crippling pace. Aurora was nearly being dragged down the corridors and up the rough-hewn stairways. She half-trotted to try and match the bigger man's pace and soon was panting.

In a matter of minutes the harsh metal brackets and flickering torches gave way to candelabras with elegant silver sconces. Dull, blood-stained granite shifted to creamy white marble with elegant venations spreading across the floor and columns. Darkness gave way to high glass windows as the little procession stepped from the dungeons up into the world of the light.

For a moment, Aurora was in awe at the exuberant grandeur of the palace. To see such elegance and expense after traveling through poverty stricken towns and camping in the woodlands nearly boggled the mind. The price of even one silver curtain rod here could have fed the Haven's people for nearly a month.

"Move!" a snarled order and the thwack of a sharp spearbutt snapped her from her reverie and elicited a hiss of pain. Aurora sucked air through her teeth, glaring angrily at the man, nay _welp,_ who had struck her.

If her hands had been free, her knife would be at his throat.

He grinned wolfishly, and appeared unmoved by her savage countenance.

The captain growled, seeing the glint of fury in Aurora's eye.

"None o' that now. You'll do as you're told…else this could get ugly." Roughly yanking her chains and digging the iron further into soft flesh. His beady eyes glared a warning, and the princess pretended not to notice. The soft 'plish' of blood dripped onto immaculate marble.

"Take me to your Queen." She ordered, straightening up and holding her head high. The big man grunted, spat, and moved on, resuming his speedy clip.

_Please let her just kill me quickly._ Aurora prayed, balling her fists and drawing herself up inside.

The hall opened up into an expansive domed ceiling, and high, on a throne of mahogany, sat Cora. A predatory smirk painted her lips, as her hands sat folded in her lap. To the unknowing eye, she would have looked kindly, maternal almost…

"Kneel before your Queen." Ordered the burly guardsman, snapping her chains taunt and sending her sprawling to the floor. The other guards guffawed, cruelly. Pain lashed up and through her knees and elbows as she fell hard on the cold marble unable to catch herself and break the fall with her hands.

Cora stood, a few quick gliding strides had her looming above her fallen victim. Hovering, like a vision of pestilence and death over her prey.

Her voice purred, sacrine sweet, as a sadistic smile pulled at the corner of the Queen's lips."Hello, little princess….welcome to my domain."

-X—


	6. Chapter 6: A Rose Among Thorns

(_AN: Okay, this chapter is a little dark, and may be a bit too violent for some readers…it's why I tagged this story as T for Teen. If you do not want to read a chapter that includes violence, please skip this. (Potential trigger-warning listed for safety purposes.))_

Aurora glared up into the dead eyes of her captor. Hate roiling in eyes of crystal blue.

"Whatever it is you want from me you won't get it." The young princess snarled, her bravery surprising even herself.

Cora arched an eyebrow and chuckled darkly. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get what I want…the question of the matter is if you'll do this the easy way, or the hard way." She sneered.

A prickling electricity hummed in the air, and the tiny hairs on Aurora's neck began to raise in alarm. _Magic._ She thought. The witch was gathering her forces and the atmosphere practically crackled with power.

"Now, I'll only make this offer once." Cora said, kneeling down to the princess's level. Her face loomed terrifyingly close, and lips painted red as blood pursed in a mirthless smirk. "Bring me the compass…and I'll let you live." She purred, the weight of the threat hanging heavy in the air.

Aurora swallowed, her eyes wide with terror. This was the most powerful sorceress in the land. She did not make idle threats. The young princess could see the sadistic joy that her fear brought the older woman…and suddenly something in her snapped.

Aurora had been taken from her home, her people; her love had been torn away from her arms. She'd spent nearly 28 years trapped in an endless hellish dream, a prisoner in her own body. Over the past few short weeks she's been tackled, kneed in the chest, ignored, admonished, and left entirely alone… Her life had been shattered. All that she had known ripped from her grasp.

Aurora knew she no longer had a happy ending.

And something furious in her claimed it was Cora's fault.

The rage over what had been lost built with the white hot intensity of an explosion inside Aurora, waves of hate rolling off her as she stared into the dark eyes of her captor.

With a savage feral scream, Aurora leapt at the 'Queen', fingers like claws ready to rip and tear whatever she could gain purchase on. Her face was a tableau of fury and wildness, contorted into a snarl of vengeance. Cora recoiled, stepping quickly back out of reach.

"You can threaten me all you like, but I will never bow to you. My loyalties are not so easily twisted by your cruel words." Aurora roared, thrashing against her chains.

"Hmmm, guess we're doing this the hard way then." Sighed Cora, and a violet field of wavering light hovered about her hand like a second skin. "Restrain her." She ordered, and the guardsmen quickly pinned the princess's arms behind her back with a yank of chain.

Her heaving bosom was bared indefensible before Cora. The witch approached, tongue tracing her lips hungrily as she reached out her arm to touch the place where Aurora's heart beat like a bird in her breast.

A whimper escaped the princess's throat as the fingers of the guardsmen wound tightly into her hair, pulling her head back and forcing her to stare at the high domed ceiling. The painting above was ancient, but Aurora could just make out the dusty figure of the lucky White Hart, being devoured by slavering wolves. The pearlescent coat of glossy alabaster was stained with rivulets of blood. _She was the stag_, she realized, _and Cora the wolf_.

Agony exploded like the fire in her veins as Cora's hand thrust through muscle, sinew, and bone to grasp her prize. Ethereal tendrils of smoke and magic arced through the air as Cora's fingers closed around Aurora's still beating heart and pulled it from its vessel with a sickly sucking sound.

Tears streamed from eyes of limpid blue, and a wail of pain tore from her throat as she slumped forward, shuddering from the shock of a sudden void deep in her soul. Sensation ceased, and a deathly chill filled Aurora as she doubled up and curled into herself.

"I warned you, little princess. This could have been far easier if you had simply cooperated." Sighed Cora in mock disappointment. "But luckily I've always been good in taking what I want." She hissed, marveling at the organ that beat within her fist.

The rhythm of Aurora's heart echoed off the immaculate marble walls in the high domed chamber.

"Now, princess, you are mine…and you will go to your companions and bring me the compass…and if you disobey me or speak of this to anyone, I will know…and you will suffer."

Cora's long lacquered nails dug into the beating heart as her fist clenched, blazing lines of agony through Aurora's core.

It was as if she were being ripped apart, cell by cell, fiber by fiber. She writhed, animal-like on the floor. Sweat and blood stained her clothes and a scream of sheer pain splintered the silence of the castle. The agony was so immense that her vision narrowed to a pinprick and she nearly passed out. Spots danced before her eyes as Cora finally slackened her grasp.

Aurora's wracked and broken sobs wove through the air to the heart's steady tempo and Cora cackled madly over her triumph.


	7. Chapter 7: On My Honor

**(AN**: _Another short chapter! But don't worry! I promise I'll quickly make it up to you, dearies ;) Thanks so much to everyone who's reading this fic. It's great fun to write, and I'm so thrilled you all are enjoying it as much as I am :D Also, I have a tumblr! Feel free to follow, like, and reblog_)

Mulan huffed, panting madly as she skidded to a stop among the leaf strewn forest floor. Sweat covered her forehead in a fine sheen and dark locks fallen from her high ponytail were plastered across her face.

Emma paced nervously about the campsite, but paused as soon as Mulan was in view. Snow sat perched on a rock, sharpening arrows, but quickly rose. Consternation painted the fairest's face as she detected the subtle air of panic. Some thing was deeply wrong. "What is it? What's happened?" she queried, dark fears squeezing her heart. "Where's Aurora?"

"I-I don't know…she's gone." Mulan wheezed between labored breaths. Armor was certainly not easy to sprint in. She leaned one hand against the trunk of a sturdy pine to steady herself and tried to calm her ragged breathing.

"We separated in the market place" she gasped "to collect supplies…and then she didn't return." Fear flashed across Mulan's wide dark eyes, as she looked to Snow for guidance. "We have to find her." She pleaded; trepidation and panic trilled, thinly veiled, among her stoic tone.

Snow's brows arched in thought as keen eyes appraised the warrior. Mulan, for the first time, was showing…_fear_? No….desperation?

_Odd_. Snow considered. The military woman had seemed so unfazed by the violence and terrors of only a few weeks prior….perhaps she was reaching a breaking point.

"What do we do?" Mulan asked, hungry for action, as she passed a gloved hand across her face to wipe away the runnels of perspiration.

"We find her." Snow replied, tersely. "If Cora get's Aurora to talk, she'll know our position…she could arrive any moment."

"So let's move. Time is of the essence." Mulan replied, ignoring her fatigue and moving to shoulder the remnants of the deconstructed campsite.

"Agreed," nodded Snow "but storming the town could put us all in jeopardy. There must be a better plan…"

"Cora has access to magic, and the wardrobe ashes…the next thing she'll be coming for is the compass. If she gets it, then I'll have no way back home to my son, and I am NOT taking that chance." Snarled Emma, her vehemence causing Mulan to grasp for her sword hilt.

"Aurora is my friend. I owe her my loyalty…which is far more than I owe you, or your son." Growled Mulan; her face pulling into a challenging scowl, eyes flashing. "We are going to find her."

Snow stepped between the two, placing a hand on Mulan's armored shoulder. "We will find her, Mulan…but Emma's right. We can't put the compass in jeopardy. We need to think of a better way to outsmart Cora."

"We could go to the village at night…search for a trace." Mulan suggested.

"Good. I'll come with you. Emma, you stay here with the compass. It'll be easier to sneak into town if there are fewer of us." Snow laid out the battle plan and shouldered her quiver of arrows.

All that remained was to wait.

Mulan fidgeted with her cloak and checked to see if her sword was clear in its scabbard. Panicked thoughts whirled in her head as she prayed for the sun to set quickly.

"I'll find you, Aurora…I promise. On my honor, I promise I will not lose you." She whispered, half to herself, as she settled on the forest floor to meditate and plead to her ancestors for the safe return of her princess.


	8. Chapter 8: Shadows in the Night

_(AN: Again, thanks to everybody who is reading! Another chapter should be up sometime next week…or even sooner, if possible. The best is yet to come, so please stay tuned!)_

Night fell swiftly as Mulan sat in her trance-like state. The warmth of the sun had fallen away, and the cold stars and moon had begun to rise in the heavens above. Snow lightly touched her shoulder, bringing her to wakened alertness.

"It's time." Snow whispered, wrapping a forest green cloak about her own shoulders.

Mulan nodded and stood; her muscles and joints aching from being stuck in a single position for so long. Her heart thrilled with adrenaline, pulsating to the sense of danger and potential impending battle.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

The pair crept to the tree line, their dark forms hidden by shadows as they scoped the land and village spread out below. Tiny pinprick lights flickered in the windows as sleepy families settled down to dinner and shepherds brought in their flocks for the night. Even the merchants had closed up their shops and taken in their wares. Now was the time to strike.

The two women moved in unison, the glint of sword steel and arrows catching the light of the soft moon overhead as they swept towards the town. They stopped by a wall just outside a tannery.

"Stay together." Snow ordered "We'll search the town for clues…where did you last see Aurora?"

"In the market place. We split up to search for the supplies. She was to find the travel cups, and bandages."

"Right. Then let's check the square, the alleyways. Cups could be found at the tinsmith, and bandages probably at the linen stall, or apothecary shop, so we'll check those too."

"Sounds good." Mulan agreed.

They crept out into the main streets and ducked into alleyways, scouring the ground for any indication of the princess's passage. Footprints covered the dusty streets making identification of a trail impossible. Various pieces of rubbish covered the gutterways, and rats squeaked and scrabbled in the dark.

The pair swept like spirits of a nether realm, low and quiet across and through the abandoned streets. But even after nearly an hour of searching, they'd found little evidence of Aurora.

Mulan cursed angrily in her native tongue. Snow pretended not to notice. "Fruitless. This search has given us nothing." She hissed, her frustration making her whisper slide aggressively through her teeth.

"We still have one place left…the apothecary. It's just up the street and will only take a moment." Snow admonished, trying to hide her falling hopes. She breathed low and stealthily crept up to the shop, knowing that the warrior would eventually follow suit. She searched about the steps while Mulan peered in the darkened windows.

"Look! There's something on the desk…it looks like…a dead animal." Whispered Mulan, tapping on the glass.

Snow's brow furrowed in confusion, as she moved to the warrior's side and peered through the glass at the huddled mass on the front counter of the shop.

"That's….a rabbit skin." Snow muttered. "One of OUR rabbit skins."

"Aurora must have tried to use it for trade." Mulan murmured, her eyes dark as the pall of night. "She must have been here. We must break in and find her." Her tone was gravely serious.

"What? Are you crazy?" Snow hissed "We can't just go around breaking into random shops in the middle of the night. The whole town would be woken in a matter of minutes!"

"If Aurora was here this is our only lead on finding her…she would never have left our only method of trade behind. Something must have happened to her, and I intend to find out what." Mulan growled, her stoic warrior's façade masking the terror that clenched and roiled like angry serpents in her heart.

She ignored Snow's disapproving glare and slid the cool steel of her blade betwixt the lock and the door. With a twist, and the proper leverage, the bolt popped out of place and Mulan grasped for the handle before Snow placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her again.

"Mulan…I know you care about Aurora…but there is a strong chance you may not like what you see in there…she may be long gone already."

The warrior turned to look into the wise, forest green eyes of Snow White. Dark eyes suddenly filled with tears, and Mulan's jaw clenched, fighting against letting them fall. Snow could see the hurt, the anxiety, and the despair gathered in the depths of those eyes, threatening to crack the stone-hard strength of the Dragon Warrior.

"I just…I can't afford to think like that. I can't afford to lose another part of my family. I won't lose her." Mulan's voice cracked, and she swallowed past the hard lump in her throat. She twisted the knob on the door and strode inside.

The chime of a bell made her freeze, as it clanged out, shattering the silence.

Mulan cursed again. She should have known better than to simply barge in without looking for systems that might alert the shopkeeper.

A muffled grumble from the back of the store drew her attention. "'Ello? Who's there?" A burly old man stumbled out of the back store room where he'd apparently been sleeping. His eyes were half lidded and bleary from sleep, but he grew stock still when he saw the dark armor and sword of the intruder.

"THIEVES!" he growled, grabbing for a heavy hammer once used to pound out dried herbs. "BRIGANDS! Someone 'ELP!" He raised the alarm and charged at the woman. She dove for the door and threw it open, tearing out into the darkness and nearly colliding with Snow.

"RUN!" Mulan cried, grabbing the hem of Snow's cloak and hauling her out into the mainstreet. Dogs barked, and already the flicker of torches and angry shouts echoed from nearby houses as the towns people were awakened by the call.

"There they go! Down Market Road!" howled a scraggly looking man. He pointed, and was stumbling out of his house dressed only in his bedclothes, mouth agape as the two 'thieves' tore past. A few moments later a heavy stone whistled past Mulan's ear. The townspeople were on their feet fast, and the patter of boots and bare feet echoed behind them.

"Quick! An alleyway!" Snow barked, dodging another bit of tossed flotsam, this time a heavy stick aimed at her right temple.

Mulan dove towards the narrow sidestreets, ducking and sliding into the shadows quickly. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she pressed herself up against the narrow walls of a horse stable. She covered her mouth to silence her breathing, and the baying of angry men soon moved on.

Snow and Mulan did not wait to try and press their tentative luck further.

Zigzagging and sprinting full tilt, the women managed to navigate the maze of alleyways and barely managed to make their way out of town unscathed and unseen. They tore in a dead run towards the woods, all manner of secrecy abandoned as they raced towards the safety of their campsite.

Their bodies were shaking from the exertions and heaving breaths wheezed as they came into the clearing. "Emma…we found something…you're not going to believe this." Snow panted.

"Oh, I think I've got something better…" The blonde replied, motioning behind her.

Mulan looked up; craning her neck in confusion to see what stood behind Emma. What she saw, she could hardly believe.

"Aurora?!" The warrior gasped, breathless and shaking "You're here?! You're alive?!"

-x—


	9. Chapter 9: Cold

Snow was the first to recover from the initial shock, and wrapped Aurora in a warm embrace.

A gentle elated chuckle escaped the princess's soft throat as she dutifully returned Snow's gentle maternal affection, before extricating herself from the hug.

"Yes, of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be?" She strode towards Mulan, stopping short to cock her head to the side, mildly vexed, as if the mere idea was ludicrous.

"But…But you weren't in the square and I thought-_WE_ thought- you'd been abducted." Mulan stammered, her mind reeling as she tried to make sense of it all.

"I'm fine, Mulan. I just went for a little walk and got lost is all." Aurora replied with a casual shrug of her shoulder, brushing off her companion's concerns.

The warrior's mind whirred, fueled by adrenaline_. Why had the valuable rabbit skin been left in the apothecary shop? Why hadn't Aurora simply tried to retrace her steps? Why had she not sent word ahead that she was venturing outside the village?_ It all just didn't make sense.

"I…you…I was worried." Mulan stammered, false anger masking her embarrassment and giddy relief. The princess reached out and took a gloved hand between her own.

"Everything's fine, now. See?" She murmured, and for a moment, Mulan feared she'd drown in the sweet fathomless depths of those azure eyes.

"… I would prefer you not take any more walks while we're here, lest you get lost again, princess." Mulan requested, sighing deeply and giving Aurora's hand an awkward but gentle squeeze.

"As you wish." Aurora smiled disarmingly though the smile did not reach her eyes…the irises of sapphire blue seemed cloudy and distant, almost…sad. Hollow.

The warrior could see a strange new emptiness like a yawning pit in the murkiness of Aurora's eyes and it both concerned and confused her. She did not know from whence it came, but something in the princess had changed. Mulan mentally shook herself. _Nonsense_, she thought. The princess was back, and safe. That was all that mattered.

"There is a cut on your forehead." Mulan said, a gentle gloved finger tracing the arching line of dried blood above Aurora's brow.

"Yes, I…had some trouble with some thorns… in the woods. They scraped up my wrists and arms too." She showed deep scathing cuts on the inside of her wrists and elbows.

_Far too regular and deep to be thorns…_ Whispered Mulan's thoughts. Strange. Something simply didn't seem to add up. But why would Aurora lie? It made no sense. Mulan chewed her lower lip as she gently cradled Aurora's wrists in her upturned palms.

"Let me make a salve for you. It will help you heal faster from the cuts of the …thorns." Mulan spoke, her voice level, but her mind distant and confused.

_What could Aurora possibly be hiding?_

-x—

Mulan took second watch, and was woken by Emma's rough touch at about midnight.

"Wake up. Your turn." Yawned the savior, as she settled into her tent for the night, ready for some well deserved rest.

Mulan stretched herself awake, grasped her sword and found a small outcropping of rock conveniently placed close to Aurora's bed roll. She settled herself, laying her sword across her lap, and sat sideways with the princess on her left as she faced, eyes trained, out into the woodlands.

Alone in the darkness, Mulan took stock of her thoughts.

She was confused. Certainly the princess had been lying…Mulan knew Aurora, and the princess was a terrible liar- Her gentle nature had always betrayed her guilt if she even told half-truths—and Mulan felt in her gut something was not right. What Aurora had said simply didn't add up. Her alibi was faulty and vague and her words seemed to ring false.

_Yet,_ considered the warrior, _her face had given nothing away_. The princess's visage had been implacable as marble with no evidence of fallacy. The warrior blew a long sigh out through her nose.

The night air was cool on her skin, and she shifted herself, shaking life into sleepy limbs.

_The princess was safe._ She told herself. _That was all that mattered_.

The fear of losing her last tie to family had greatly shaken Mulan, and suddenly a trembling chill seemed to seep into her, bone deep. For the first time in the entirely of her life after the army, a tear rolled freely, silently, down her cheek.

She had been scared, today.

_Terrified_.

Aurora was all she had left, and Mulan had realized quite some time ago that she had a warm place in her heart for the princess. She had remained protective of the girl, and dutiful as always, but had kept her tongue still about her private affections, lest Aurora be offended.

The anxieties of the day had wrought Mulan to her core, however, and made it inescapably clear how deep these feelings ran. It was more than simple duty and honor, she realized…it was a love, and a kinship. Genuine and true.

The warrior did not like feeling so vulnerable. She hugged her knees to her chest as if to protect her fragile heart. The princess slept on peacefully, unaware that her silent protector wrestled internally with her own demons.

_Strange_. Usually by now Aurora had woken in a cold sweat, from her nightmares…but the princess seemed to sleep soundly. Mulan peered at her charge, curious. Her face was slack and relaxed in sleep, though a sad frown pulled at the edges of the dreamer's lips. A heavy blanket hid any signs of her breathing. Her creamy skin was blanched with a deathly hue.

Mulan's brow wrinkled in consternation. She slid off the rock, and crept towards Aurora. Tentatively she extended a gloved hand, cupping the princess's fair cheek. And dark fear snaked its coils around the warrior's heart.

Cold. The princess was ice cold. Even through Mulan's thick leather she could feel the icy pallor of death on the girl's skin.

"_No_." whispered the warrior, panic making her fingers tremble. No, it could not be.

She quickly knelt by Aurora's side, touching the princess's neck in search of a pulse point while laying her head on the younger woman's chest.

_Nothing. _

Silence.

There was no heart beat.

"Aurora?!" Whispered Mulan. Panic crept into her voice, making it sound high and strained. No response.

"AURORA!" She screamed, shaking the girl frantically.

_Not dead. Anything but dead. Oh dear spirits, please not dead._

"AURORA!" She shook the girl harder. Hot tears streamed freely down her cheeks and wetly cooled in the chill air. "AURORA WAKE UP! Please wake up, you have to wake up! Please. AURORA!"

-x-


	10. Chapter 10: Shattered

The princess's eyes snapped open, pupils wide in fear of danger "What's happening? What's wrong?!" She pulled herself into a sitting position. "Are we under attack?"

Emma crawled from her tent groggily, and Snow trotted up, bow in hand with an arrow notched and ready. Scanning the horizon and surrounding woods for sign of danger.

"But…You…Your heart. It's not beating." Mulan stammered; eyes wide and trained on her princess. Her hair had fallen free from its ponytail, giving her a frazzled look.

"What? That's nonsense, of course it's beating." Aurora scoffed, her eyes darting about, trying to look anywhere but the warrior's face.

Mulan placed her gloved hand on Aurora's chest, just over where her heart would be. "No. I don't feel it…." She pulled her hand away.

Silence reigned. Mulan leaned close to her princess, lowering her face so that Aurora could look nowhere else. Her eyes dark and hard with concern and masked fear.

"Aurora…. Something happened to you. Tell us." Her tone was low, but forceful.

Aurora's eyes slowly rose, meeting the inquisitive and fretful gazes of Snow, and Emma.

Tears welled in her eyes. "I…I can't. She took it. She says I can't tell."

"She?" Snow asked, brows arching into a puzzled line. "You mean Cora?"

Aurora nodded "Yes. She said she'd know if I told. And she'd kill me."

The pit of Mulan's stomach dropped like a stone. Was Snow right? Was Aurora implying that the witch had ripped out her heart and sworn her to secrecy, placing her among the group like a spy? What would happen when Cora's machinations were finished, and Aurora became deemed disposable? The warrior thought she might be sick.

She clenched her fists, fighting against the desire to draw her sword and hack apart a nearby tree.

"But technically you haven't told us…" Emma murmured blearily, rubbing at a sleepy eye. "We've been guessing and figuring it out this whole time. Maybe that's how we can circumvent her threat." The savior suggested.

Aurora looked to Snow. "Do you think it would work?"

Snow tipped her head thoughtfully and after a moment said "I suppose… it's worth a shot…but let's keep our questions simple. Yes and No answers only, Aurora…we don't want to draw undue attention from Cora…incase she can hear what you say."

All nodded in mutual agreement.

After the better part of an hour, they had pieced together a majority of Aurora's missing hours and Cora's dark plans.

"So she's after the compass, and is using your heart as leverage to get you to steal it for her." Emma spoke, fingering the object weighing heavily in her pocket. "What happens if you just don't give it to her?"

Aurora's azure eyes widened, appraising Emma. She sat silently. Everyone knew the consequences of defying Cora when she had a heart in her fist. No one wanted to speak it aloud.

"That's not an option. A compass is not worth Aurora's life." Mulan growled with a sharp glare.

"Mulan, we can figure this out another way. Give us some time to think. Cora hasn't caught on that we know her plans. We have the advantage. Let's just get some sleep and we can figure this all out with fresh minds." Snow said, pinching the bridge of her nose and scrunching up her face to alleviate a building headache. "Things will look better in the morning."

Mulan nodded, compliant for the moment, but still managed to fasten Emma with a cold stare as the mother-daughter pair shuffled off to their tents. Mulan stayed by Aurora's side, her watch not yet finished.

Aurora's pale face was lit by the dwindling embers of the fire, and Mulan thought she'd never seen anything more achingly beautiful. She saw a fine tear perched on the princess's long lashes, glittering like a diamond in the waning light.

"It'll be ok, princess. I promise. I swore I would always protect you." Mulan spoke, keeping her voice low.

"Mulan…I can't _feel_ anything anymore." Aurora's voice broke, and she gasped, shuddering as she touched the place above where her heart should have been. "It's just emptiness inside me… without my heart, what am I?" her eyes searched her warrior's face balefully, begging for an answer that Mulan could not give.

Mulan awkwardly patted her shoulder; trying to remember the words she'd once overheard Snow use to comfort Aurora's nightmares. "Shh… I won't let her hurt you…I won't leave you. I'll always be here to protect you. You are safe with me." The words felt oddly stilted and strange in her mouth, but her heart felt them sincerely.

Aurora leaned into Mulan's touch, wrapping her arms about the warrior's neck and laying her head against the leather breastplate of her armor with a heavy sigh. Mulan froze, momentarily unsure of what to do. Gently she patted Aurora on the back, rubbing in slow circles.

"Promise you won't leave me?" Whispered the princess, eyes slipping closed.

Mulan looked to the skies; the cold distant stars stared back like the eyes of her ancestors. Hot tears welled in her eyes as she gently pressed a kiss to Aurora's forehead. The light, warm, floral scent of the princess's hair mingled with the tang of pine and woodsmoke.

_Fate,_ Mulan thought, _Was savagely cruel._

The warrior squeezed her eyes shut to keep the rivulets of rage, pity, and sorrow from falling down her cheeks and into the princess's chestnut tresses. She could nearly feel her heart breaking.

"I promise." She whispered back, still gently stroking. "Everything will be alright. I promise."

Soon the princess had drifted back to sleep, and Mulan gently extracted herself from the girl's grasp. She tucked the young princess into bed, stood and looked down, taking in the sleeping form of her dearest friend. Her last remaining family. The last vestige of happiness she had on the face of the Earth. The one person that she truly cared about.

Suddenly she knew what she had to do.

She gathered up her father's sword, and turned to take a long last look at the broken beauty that slept by the dying embers of the campfire.

"I promise, Aurora. She won't hurt you again." She whispered, knowing that- though the princess could not hear them- these words may well be her last.

The warrior turned on her heel and strode into the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11: Dealing with the Devil

_(AN: I'm so sorry I kept you waiting this long, dear reader. Things have been a little hectic lately.)_

Mulan raced through the forest with cat-like grace, leaping over fallen trees and quickly dodging stumps. She had to get to the village before sunrise for her plan to work. She had to find a way to contact Cora before the others woke to see she was gone.

Strands of her dark raven hair that had previously fallen free of her pompadour fluttered about her face, as she pushed herself faster and faster towards her destination. In a matter of moments the sleepy town was spread out before her, and the warrior paused to catch her breath and think.

The apothecary. Surely he was the key to finding the so-called 'Queen'. Aurora's rabbit skins had been in his shop. It was the most likely place to start.

She tore down the hill with frightening speed, but dared not slow. Time was of the essence and waiting was a leisure she could not afford.

A few quick minutes found her prying open the door of the apothecary shop. The old owner looked up from the counter, dark circles framing his eyes.

"Oi! We're closed!" he growled before squinting, skeptically, at the stone-cold fury on the warrior's face. "Say..weren't you the thief from last ni—"

His sentence was cut short by the cold steel of the blade at his throat. His jowls shuddered, and the apple of his throat bobbed as he tried to swallow. The razor-edge of the metal nicked his soft flesh, and blood dribbled down his whiskery chin.

"There was a girl here yesterday…in a purple gown. You turned her over to the witch. Cora." Mulan snarled, eyes dark as obsidian and hard as chips of flint. Devoid of mercy.

"I didn't do 't on purpose, 'onest! I was just doin' my duty. It was jus' business, I swear!" blathered the man. His face twitching, and eyes rolling white like a frightened animal.

The warrior ignored the hysterics. She was focused, calm, and lethal; still balancing the old shopkeeper's life on the edge of her sword. Her training had long since made her heart deaf to meaningless pleas.

"I don't care why." She hissed, eyes narrowing to slits. "Just take me to her. Take me to Cora."

-x—

In a few hours, Mulan was striding down the high marble halls of the Queen's castle. Her armor shone black as death in the flickering candle light as she stalked, panther-like, escorted by a phalanx of guardsmen.

Her eyes were hardened with resolve. There was no going back.

Cora sat on her throne, languidly perched on high. A sneer scrawled its way across her blood red lips as she spotted the swordswoman marching towards her.

"Pity." The witch spoke, spotting the gleaming sword at Mulan's hip. Her tone was even and unafraid "I was hoping you'd at least try and kill me in some fashion more imaginative."

With a sweep of her hand, tendrils of magic arced out, their forms serpentine and sinister. They wrapped themselves around the limbs of the warrior, constricting her every movement and locking up her strong muscles in their strong dark coils. Wherever the malicious tendrils touched a fatigue seeped deep into her body, killing the fight in her spirit and forcing her to surrender herself to death. The more she struggled, the tighter the astral bindings became.

"I suppose I'll have to end you…Such a waste." Cora muttered, her voice dripping with mock disappointment. Her lower lip jutted out in a petulant pout.

"I'm not here to kill you, witch." Mulan snarled, feeling the arcane taint slithering into her bodily organs. Her tissues felt like gelatin, and her breath came in slow labored gasps from crushed lungs. "I'm here to make a deal."

Cora laughed. "Oh really? And what do you have that I could possibly want?"

"Passage to the realm of Storybrooke." The warrior hissed.

The sorceress froze, eyes narrowing and scouring her victim's face for any sign of fallacy. She found none. There was no hint of dishonesty in the depths of the warrior's stone-hard façade.

"And how do you intend to insure that…" Cora asked; hesitancy and caution cloaking the hunger in her tone.

"I propose a trade…Aurora's heart for me and my guarantee that when the portal opens, you will be able to come through." Mulan spoke, her voice calm but sharp as a razor's edge. Resignation and purpose reverberated in every word.

"And why should I trust you?" Cora laughed, incredulously.

"You know we have the compass, now all we need is time. Emma and Snow will never stop until they find their way back to their loved ones. I swear to you…on my honor. My word is my bond." Her heart sped to a gallop, and her timbre sounded pleading. She needed Cora to believe that she spoke the truth…The witch had to take the deal. It was the only way. Once Aurora's heart was hers to return, Mulan would gladly break the bargain. It would be a serious blow to her own personal honor, but a worthy sacrifice to insure Aurora's protection.

Fine brows wrinkled, as the sorceress drew herself near to the warrior. She studied her, eyes skimming over the planes of the swordswoman's face. A mildly amused smirk and the air of fascinated vexation flashed across Cora's countenance.

"You love her…don't you." It was more of an accusation than a question. Mulan swallowed thickly, but said nothing. The two women stared each other down.

"Interesting" purred Cora. She whirled on a heel and swept back up to her high mahogany throne, and seated herself regally.

"I accept your terms. A heart for passage to Storybrooke…" She waved a hand, and a guardsman stepped out in to the hall. After a few short moments, he returned with something red and beating clutched in a silk handkerchief. As soon as she caught sight of the glowing red organ, Mulan's stomach fluttered and for a moment she feared that she would faint.

Aurora's heart.

It looked so beautiful-almost glassy-and fragile. So frail. Beating against all the forces of nature to defy death and remain imbued with the magic that kept it sustained.

The heart of her only remaining loved one.

Mulan's eyes followed the precious item, tracking its progress across the room, as it was handed over to the clutches of the Queen and brought before her face. The warrior felt like a parched woman in the desert, and the heart was her wellspring of life-bringing water.

Cora grasped the heart nonchalantly, rolling it in her palm before holding it out to show her immobilized enemy. She whispered in a language fell and foul. Old words of dark taint dripped from her lips, and a darkened liquid seemed to fall from her tongue onto the tiny fluttering heart in her palm, poisoning it with inky black ooze. Mulan thrashed against her bonds.

"What are you doing?! I thought we had a deal!" she snarled, trying desperately to cover the fear and terror that soaked her.

"Insuring you keep your end of the bargain." Cora growled, lethal and serious. "I have enchanted the heart with a hex. If you in any way break your oath to me…your precious princess' life will be forfeit….so I suggest you keep to your word, warrior. Your princess' life depends on it."


	12. Chapter 12: Stormclouds Rising

_(AN: Well, here we are. The last chapter—at least for now—of this short little storyline. I hope you all liked it. It was certainly such an interesting tale to write. Thank you so much for reading this odd little story, and for leaving such kind reviews and thoughts. Perhaps someday, far in the future, I'll work on a sequel or a continuation…)_

_-x-_

"Where the HELL IS SHE?!" Emma cursed, pugnaciously.

Aurora's eyes popped open, as the waning morning light filtered in through the canopy of trees. She sighed internally in frustration at the blonde's outburst.

_And just when I was finally getting some sleep._ She thought with chagrin, pushing herself up and out from under the warm embrace of her blankets.

Snow's voice rang out firm and true. "No, Mulan would never run off…she's probably just out hunting."

_Mulan?_ _Was something wrong with Mulan? _The princess' mind faded out of the dreamless sleep that plagued her. She scrambled out of the tent, and joined her companions, shaking herself awake and languidly yawning.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, sleepily rubbing an eye and stretching.

"It's Mulan. She's missing." Snow explained, arms crossed and a frown of trepidation marring her fair features.

"Missing?" Aurora knew that normally the pit of her stomach would have dropped like a stone, and the icy fingers of panic would have gripped at her heart…but she felt nothing. Only emptiness and a void where something should have been.

"Should we go find her? Search for tracks or something?" The princess asked, the request sounded thin and bored. The words were meaningless in her mouth. Her usual passion and vivacious enthusiasm was gone. The proposal meant little when her heart was not in it. She was merely going through the motions. Doing what was habitual and expected, like a trained pup.

Snow's frown deepened, her keen verdant gaze scrutinizing Aurora, but she kept silent.

"Mulan's a practiced hunter, I doubt she'd leave tracks." Emma growled, her frustration making her tone gravelly and low as she tried to haphazardly stuff her blanket into her knapsack.

"Then the only thing we can do is to wait for her to return, I suppose." Yawned the princess.

"No. We have to move on. The wanted posters are still all over town, and I'm sure the townspeople have figured out that the 'fearsome bandits' from last night are still out and about. The first place they'll scour is the forest." Emma spoke, her face hard and resolve tempered.

"Mulan knew that we were getting ready to leave the campsite, but she left anyways. She knew the risks. We have to start off without her…We have to stay a few steps ahead of Cora, else we're finished…and I'll never see my son again." Emma's voice wavered slightly, but she cleared her throat and continued to shove items into her pack.

"Let's just give her a little time…" Snow pleaded, stepping over to her daughter, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Time is a luxury we don't have." Emma murmured, her stormy gray-green eyes were wet as thunderclouds, as she looked up at her mother. "I have to get back to Henry."

The snap of a twig, drew the attentions of all three women. Something was in the brush…and it was dangerously close. Snow grabbed for her bow, notching and arrow in a matter of seconds. Emma dove for her father's sword, wrestling it out of the scabbard with a metallic tang.

The underbrush quivered, and Snow drew back the taught bowstring, the shaft of the arrow brushing her cheek. The feathers of the fletching ruffled slightly as she breathed out, her aim locked on the movement. She gauged the space with lethal practice. If the intruder came through brandishing a weapon, he'd soon receive an arrow through his eye. She inhaled slowly, relaxing her shoulders and centering her thoughts. Her world narrowed to two simple facts: Kill or be killed. Protect the ones you love.

Dark leather armor and a bedraggled panting warrior half-staggered through the hedge and into the campsite, making Snow release the tension in her bow and exhale a sigh of relief. Mulan limped through the copse, and seated herself on a large flat rock at the edge of the campsite. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her muscles trembled like leaves in fall…but a satisfied grin painted the warrior's face.

Emma stared, dumbfounded, mouth agape.

Then, Mulan did a most terrifying thing. She laughed.

Hard, belly-shaking guffaws rolled from the warrior's throat, shaking her frame with wracking jubilation until she doubled over with tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. Indeed, to Snow, it appeared the woman had gone quite mad. Mulan was never one to smile or partake in excessive emotional displays, her stoicism was nearly legendary…and to see her do both in one day meant only one thing. The swordswoman had most assuredly cracked.

Mulan's hand strayed towards her hip, reaching, and Snow tensed, muscled coiling and brows drawing together in dark determination. If the warrior pulled a sword, the fairest was ready to undoubtedly tackle her to the ground.

But the warrior did not grasp for the hilt of her weapon. Instead she pulled a small satchel from her hip, holding it up for all to see.

"I did it." Mulan whispered hoarsely. "I got it back."

"Got what back? Why the hell did you run off? You scared the living shit out of us!" Emma raged, her fury suddenly overcoming her mute shock at the woman's return.

Mulan reached into the supple leather, and grasped the bulging object within. It pulsed with a warm crimson glow, gleaming even in the light of midday.

The heart lay cradled in the warrior's palm.

"You…you got it back." The princess's breathy whisper broke the silence that had fallen over the group. "You stole back my heart."

Aurora nearly tackled the swordswoman, throwing her arms around the stoic woman and letting out a joyous whoop. Tears flowed freely down the princess's fair cheeks as she hiccupped a gracious babbling 'thank you'. Mulan flushed a deep burgundy, and suddenly the collar of her breastplate felt hot and a little too tight. She swallowed hard.

Cora's words rang cacophonously in her head. _I suggest you keep your word, warrior. Your princess's life depends on it_. Her chest felt small and ready to tear in two. Basking in Aurora's happiness was nearly worth the cost of betrayal she knew she would have to pay. Cold black guilt clawed at her innards, and Mulan felt her stomach clench. She gritted her teeth, scrunched up her eyes, and buried her face in Aurora's hair.

For just this one moment, she shut her eyes, ignoring all around her save for the breathing of her princess. The floral sweet scent of Aurora made all the world melt away for the tiniest of seconds. She was back. That was all that mattered. And if asked to pay the price for Aurora's heart a thousand times over in her own blood, Mulan knew she would do it.

"Yes, princess." Mulan whispered, silent tears choking her voice. "I have kept my promise. I have made you whole again." Her hand slid through the muscle, bone, and tissue with a wet sucking sound as the fragile organ slid back into place. Gloved fingers trembled and released as the heart started to beat strongly in the princess's breast.

"I knew you would save me. It could only have been you." Aurora whispered, her tears soaking hotly into the hem of her shawl.

"Wait...How did you get the heart back?" Emma asked, her eyes narrowing to grayish slits of suspicion. "There's no way Cora would just hand it over."

"I stole it." Mulan lied, her tongue weighing heavily with remorse and shame. "I crept into the castle at night and took it. The apothecary showed me the way."

"Well, it was incredibly dangerous…but at least now we won't have to worry that Cora will kill Aurora." Snow shrugged, smiling crookedly. "And you're both safe and sound. Well done Mulan."

The warrior grimaced ruefully, trying to hide the self-reproach that roiled in her gut.

Emma grunted non-communicatively and began tossing things back into her pack. "Let's head out, ladies. We've got a lot of land to cover…"

"Right. And we're already one step closer to getting you both back to Storybrooke." Aurora chirruped, her high spirits returned.

"Yes…one step closer." Mulan muttered, as she disentangled herself from the princess's embrace, and slid off the rock. The warrior let out a sigh, steeled her resolve, and turned her back to her friends as she began to pack up the remainders of her belongings in preparation of the dark path that lay ahead.

-The End?-


End file.
